The World Sikh News goes through the annals of contemporary history of November 1984 through the Sikhtoons of artist Vishavjit Singh, who himself is a victim-survivor.

November 1984: 33 long years. 33 years of injustice. 33 years of impunity. 33 years of India’s forgetfulness. 33 years of remembrance by Sikhs. 33 years of campaign by Amnesty International.

As we go through the annals of contemporary Sikh history, the first week of November will never pass off easily. The week is linked to the carnage of November 1984. The week reminds the Sikhs and friends of Sikhs of the days when India became an uncivil society with Congress party leaders and workers indulging in mayhem, loot and murder, reminiscent of the stone-age hunting of rivals by the stone-age man.

For those who may not remember or may not have read, the son of the Big Tree, Rajiv Gandhi called her so. He also called the deaths of thousands in less than 72 hours as nothing but a “calamity”. The fact that he and his ilk engineered the whole massacre only awaits Indian judicial confirmation, the whole world knows about it.

The world community, seized with terrorism, mass murders, wars and battles across nations also knows who the culprits were but commerce enforced silence has granted more impunity to “the largest democracy in the world” to allow such massacres since then in various other parts.

Amnesty International, without let up continues to seek justice in the face of absolute forgetfulness of the state machinery and is running an international campaign supported by a few hundred thousand seekers of justice, but India does not listen as it considers those days as nothing but the falling of a big tree.

Living through such agony and pain, is not an easy experience, and if you happen to be a victim survivor, it is even more difficult. Artist Vishavjit Singh has experienced November 1984 and lives it every day. He brings it out on a canvass in the form of Sikhtoons, poking fun at those who have been making fun of the Sikhs since decades, giving graphic representation to the yearnings of the Sikhs and not letting go any opportunity to look within the community too.

“Forgiveness is a trait of the Almighty but forgetfulness is a trait of the doomed. And we as a people are unwilling to forget.”

At the commemoration meet organized by the Sikh Forum nearly a decade ago, the veteran social and political leader Jaya Jaitley, who along with others had worked relentlessly through the Nagrik Ekta Manch during the dark days of November 1984, said, if that massive pain that continues to bother us to this day can generate creativity within us, we will be able to relieve ourselves and the next generation from distress and that would be our contribution to reconciliation and peace.

In putting together his exhibition of exclusive cartoons, especially focused on 1984, Vishavjit Singh has done just that. He is the Jew among Sikhs, who wants to keep memories alive.

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So, while we live through the pain of the widows who still wait for justice, The World Sikh News publishes some of the 1984 cartoons or Sikhtoons of Vishavjit Singh in an attempt to tell the world that forgiveness is a trait of the Almighty but forgetfulness is a trait of the doomed. And we as a people are unwilling to forget.

The big tree is calling you.